Whether you’re visiting Hanoi for a layover or a week, we got you covered. Here are some sample DIY HANOI ITINERARIES for 1 DAY (layover), 2 DAYS (overnight), 3 DAYS, 4 DAYS, 5 DAYS, 6 DAYS, and 7 DAYS (1 week), each with estimated costs and recommended tours. Have fun!
In my travel circles, it’s hard to find a destination as polarizing as Hanoi. Those who love it seem to have enjoyed it tremendously, and those who are not fans of it have a few choice words for it. Where do I stand? I am on Team Hanoi.
Sure, it’s not on my list of top places to visit but I don’t dislike it at all. Like most cities in the developing world, Hanoi has a lot to improve on. It is bursting with character. It is definitely textured, and it constantly assaults your senses. But like I always say, Hanoi isn’t the type that you would fall in love with instantly. For starters, it’s a city where even the non-religious are compelled to say a little prayer every time they cross the street. And if you’ve always had trust issues, let’s just say that they’re not going away during your visit. But truthfully, I loved my time here. In fact, out of the eight stops on my Southeast Asian backpacking trip, I stayed the longest in Hanoi.
Hanoi was the capital of North Vietnam and then, after the war, became the capital of reunified Vietnam. It played a mighty important role in the history of the nation. Its location also makes it the gateway to the wonders of this side of the country. Halong Bay, Sapa, Mai Chau, and Ninh Binh are all easily accessible from Hanoi.
If you’re planning a trip to Hanoi, we have prepared some recommended HANOI ITINERARIES for 1 day to 1 week! Please take note that all these itineraries assume the following:
- You’re a party of two, splitting accommodation and some transportation costs.
- You’re arriving in and leaving Hanoi via Noi Bai International Airport (HAN, Hanoi Airport).. If you’re coming from another city in Vietnam by land, just make the necessary adjustments.
- Your budget per meal is ₫100,000. This is pretty bloated so you can be flexible with it. For example, if you spend ₫40,000 on lunch, you can burn ₫160,000 on dinner. Also, you’re skipping breakfast. It’s healthy.
- You’re booking airport transfers from an online booking site. This way, you’re taken straight to your destination instead of having to navigate around an unfamiliar city with heavy luggage in tow. Also, many scammers operate at the airport, just waiting for gullible tourists. You’ll be spending more but at least you have peace of mind. You don’t want to start your trip on a sour, scammed note.
- These estimates are inflated. These are only for budgeting purposes. I added some reasonable allowances. It’s better to overestimate than under. The last thing you want is run out of cash!
Feel free to make necessary adjustments to this itinerary to match your flight schedule, personal tastes, and whatnot.
But before that, you might want to rent a pocket wi-fi!
Because of the language barrier, it’s a good idea to stay connected should you feel the need to consult the gods of the Internet for research or recommendations. Mobile wifi devices for rent are available online. Some can even have it delivered to your hotel so you don’t need to worry about picking it up.
The device will be delivered to your hotel on the day you choose so just ask the front desk if there is a pocket wifi for you upon check in. You can connect up to 8 devices at once.
Only limited number of devices are available, so reserve one as soon as you can.
Hanoi Itinerary 1 Day
One day is definitely not enough to see the best that Hanoi has to offer. But if you’re on a layover or for whatever reason, that’s possible too.
This day tour itinerary combines two things that are great about Hanoi: history and food. Note, however, that the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is only open from 8am-11am, so if your schedule doesn’t fit, you can replace it with something else.
Don’t miss the food tour. Vietnamese cuisine is wonderful, and being able to sample dishes from different restaurants and stores is an unforgettable experience.
Day 1: HISTORY & FOOD TOUR
07:00am – Airport to City Center, ₫194,000 (388K/2pax), Reserve here
08:00am – Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, FREE
09:00am – Ho Chi Minh Museum, ₫40,000
11:30am – One-pillar Pagoda, FREE
12:00nn – Walk to Old Quarter
01:00pm – Food Tour, ₫400,000, Book here
05:00pm – Old Quarter to Airport, ₫117,000 (₫233/2pax), Reserve here
This itinerary will set you back ₫800,000 (USD35, EUR30, SGD48, PHP1840), excluding airfare.
Hanoi Itinerary 2 Days
If you only have 2 days and 1 night to give Hanoi, here’s our suggested itinerary. We added another day exploring other sites in Hanoi including an afternoon tour of the West Lake and surrounding structures.
Day 1: HISTORY & FOOD TOUR
07:30am – Airport to City Center, ₫169,000 (338K/2pax), Reserve here
08:30am – Hotel check-in
09:00am – Walk to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
10:00am – Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, FREE
11:00am – One-pillar Pagoda, FREE
11:30am – Lunch, ₫100,000
02:00pm – Ho Chi Minh Museum, ₫40,000
04:30pm – Walk back to Old Quarter
06:00pm – Food Tour, ₫400,000, Book here
09:00pm – Walk back to hotel
10:00pm – Lights out
Day 2: HANOI LAKES
07:00am – Wake up, early check out
08:00am – Huc Bridge & Ngoc Son Temple, ₫30,000
09:30am – St. Joseph Cathedral, Vietnamese Women’s Museum, ₫30,000
11:00am – Lunch, ₫100,000
12:30am – Walk to Thang Long Opera Hotel
01:00pm – Hanoi City Tour, ₫653,000, Reserve Here
05:00pm – End tour
06:00pm – Early dinner, ₫100,000
08:00pm – Pick up bags
08:30pm – Transfer to airport, ₫117,000 (₫233/2pax), Reserve here
10:00pm – Flight check-in
01:00am – Flight out
This itinerary will cost you 1.8 Million dong (USD78, EUR68, SGD107, PHP4135), excluding accommodations and airfare.
Hanoi Itinerary 3 Days (with Ha Long Bay Day Tour)
In this itinerary, not only will you see the best of Hanoi, you’ll also get a glimpse of the world-famous Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for a day.
There are plenty of packaged day tours to Ha Long Bay which covers a ride on a boat, entrance fees to sites, and lunch.
Day 1: FOOD TOUR + HO CHI MINH COMPLEX
07:30am – Airport to City Center, ₫169,000 (338K/2pax), Reserve here
08:30am – Hotel check-in
09:00am – Walk to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
10:00am – Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, FREE
11:00am – One-pillar Pagoda, FREE
11:30am – Lunch, ₫100,000
02:00pm – Ho Chi Minh Museum, ₫40,000
04:30pm – Walk back to Old Quarter
06:00pm – Food Tour, ₫400,000, Book here
09:00pm – Walk back to hotel
10:00pm – Lights out
Day 2: HANOI LAKES
07:00am – Wake up
08:00am – Huc Bridge & Ngoc Son Temple, ₫30,000
09:30am – St. Joseph Cathedral, Vietnamese Women’s Museum, ₫30,000
11:00am – Lunch, ₫100,000
12:30am – Walk to Thang Long Opera Hotel
01:00pm – Hanoi City Tour, ₫653,000, Reserve Here
05:00pm – End tour
07:00pm – Dinner, ₫100,000
09:00pm – Walk back to hotel
10:00pm – Lights out
Day 3: HA LONG BAY DAY TOUR
07:00am – Early hotel check-out, leave bags
08:00am – Start Halong Bay Tour, ₫1,080,000, Reserve Here
08:30pm – Back to hotel, pick up bags
09:00pm – Transfer to airport, ₫117,000 (₫233/2pax), Reserve here
10:00pm – Flight check-in
01:00am – Flight out
If you follow the above itinerary, prepare to shell out around 3 Million dong (USD 130, EUR 114, SGD 178, PHP 6900), excluding airfare and accommodations.
Hanoi Itinerary 4 Days (with Overnight Ha Long Bay Tour)
This itinerary is very much like the 3-day version. The only difference is, instead of doing a Ha Long Bay Tour, you’ll be spending a night on a boat there and return on the next day.
You’ll also find overnight cruises online, which covers an overnight stay on a boat, entrance fees, and meals.
Day 1: FOOD TOUR + HO CHI MINH COMPLEX
07:30am – Airport to City Center, ₫169,000 (338K/2pax), Reserve here
08:30am – Hotel check-in
09:00am – Walk to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
10:00am – Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, FREE
11:00am – One-pillar Pagoda, FREE
11:30am – Lunch, ₫100,000
02:00pm – Ho Chi Minh Museum, ₫40,000
04:30pm – Walk back to Old Quarter
06:00pm – Food Tour, ₫400,000, Book here
09:00pm – Walk back to hotel
10:00pm – Lights out
Day 2: HANOI LAKES
07:00am – Wake up
08:00am – Huc Bridge & Ngoc Son Temple, ₫30,000
09:30am – St. Joseph Cathedral, Vietnamese Women’s Museum, ₫30,000
11:00am – Lunch, ₫100,000
12:30am – Walk to Thang Long Opera Hotel
01:00pm – Hanoi City Tour, ₫653,000, Reserve Here
05:00pm – End tour
07:00pm – Dinner, ₫100,000
09:00pm – Walk back to hotel
10:00pm – Lights out
Day 3: HA LONG BAY TOUR
07:00am – Early hotel check-out, deposit bags
08:00am – Start Halong Bay Tour, ₫3,310,000, Reserve Here
11:00pm – Lights out
Day 4: HA LONG BAY DAY TOUR
07:00am – Continue Ha Long Bay tour
05:30pm – Back in Hanoi
06:00pm – Dinner, ₫100,000
08:30pm – Back to hotel, pick up bags
09:00pm – Transfer to airport, ₫117,000 (₫233/2pax), Reserve here
10:00pm – Flight check-in
01:00am – Flight out
The itinerary above will cost you 5 Million dong (USD 216, EUR 189, SGD 296, PHP11,500) including the overnight boat accommodation in Ha Long Bay but excluding airfare and hotel in Hanoi.
Hanoi Itinerary 5 Days
Since all four days are pretty hectic, for this 5-day schedule, we decided to just insert a rest day before the Ha Long Bay cruise. On this day, there is no planned activity. You can simply walk around the city, shop for souvenirs, or just rest all day. But you may choose to watch the water puppet show at night, too!
Day 1: FOOD TOUR + HO CHI MINH COMPLEX
07:30am – Airport to City Center, ₫169,000 (338K/2pax), Reserve here
08:30am – Hotel check-in
09:00am – Walk to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
10:00am – Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, FREE
11:00am – One-pillar Pagoda, FREE
11:30am – Lunch, ₫100,000
02:00pm – Ho Chi Minh Museum, ₫40,000
04:30pm – Walk back to Old Quarter
06:00pm – Food Tour, ₫400,000, Book here
09:00pm – Walk back to hotel
10:00pm – Lights out
Day 2: HANOI LAKES
07:00am – Wake up
08:00am – Huc Bridge & Ngoc Son Temple, ₫30,000
09:30am – St. Joseph Cathedral, Vietnamese Women’s Museum, ₫30,000
11:00am – Lunch, ₫100,000
12:30am – Walk to Thang Long Opera Hotel
01:00pm – Hanoi City Tour, ₫653,000, Reserve Here
05:00pm – End tour
07:00pm – Dinner, ₫100,000
09:00pm – Walk back to hotel
10:00pm – Lights out
Day 3: REST DAY, WATER PUPPETS SHOW
12:00nn – Lunch, ₫100,000
05:20pm – Water Puppet Show, ₫100,000
07:00pm – Dinner, ₫100,000
09:00pm – Lights out
Day 4: HA LONG BAY TOUR
07:00am – Early hotel check-out, deposit bags
08:00am – Start Halong Bay Tour, ₫3,310,000, Reserve Here
11:00pm – Lights out
Day 5: HA LONG BAY DAY TOUR
07:00am – Continue Ha Long Bay tour
05:30pm – Back in Hanoi
06:00pm – Dinner, ₫100,000
08:30pm – Back to hotel, pick up bags
09:00pm – Transfer to airport, ₫117,000 (₫233/2pax), Reserve here
10:00pm – Flight check-in
01:00am – Flight out
This itinerary will set you back 5.3 Million dong (USD 229, EUR 200, SGD 314, PHP12,205) including the overnight boat accommodation in Ha Long Bay but excluding airfare and hotel in Hanoi.
Hanoi Itinerary 6 Days
For this itinerary, we’re adding a day trip to Ninh Binh, a popular destination not too far from Hanoi. Located in the Red River Delta, Ninh Binh captivates with its scenic areas, cave networks, ancient temples, and towering cliffs rising above rivers and rice fields.
You’ll find offers online of day tours to Ninh Binh that includes roundtrip transfers with hotel pick up and drop off, entrance fees, rowboat rental fee, and lunch!
Day 1: FOOD TOUR + HO CHI MINH COMPLEX
07:30am – Airport to City Center, ₫169,000 (338K/2pax), Reserve here
08:30am – Hotel check-in
09:00am – Walk to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
10:00am – Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, FREE
11:00am – One-pillar Pagoda, FREE
11:30am – Lunch, ₫100,000
02:00pm – Ho Chi Minh Museum, ₫40,000
04:30pm – Walk back to Old Quarter
06:00pm – Food Tour, ₫400,000, Book here
09:00pm – Walk back to hotel
10:00pm – Lights out
Day 2: HANOI LAKES
07:00am – Wake up
08:00am – Huc Bridge & Ngoc Son Temple, ₫30,000
09:30am – St. Joseph Cathedral, Vietnamese Women’s Museum, ₫30,000
11:00am – Lunch, ₫100,000
12:30am – Walk to Thang Long Opera Hotel
01:00pm – Hanoi City Tour, ₫653,000, Reserve Here
05:00pm – End tour
07:00pm – Dinner, ₫100,000
09:00pm – Walk back to hotel
10:00pm – Lights out
Day 3: NINH BINH
07:00am – Wake up
08:00am – Hotel pick up, Ninh Binh Tour, ₫670,000, Reserve Here
06:30pm – End tour, back in Hanoi
07:00pm – Dinner, ₫100,000
09:00pm – Walk back to hotel
10:00pm – Lights out
Day 4: REST DAY, WATER PUPPETS SHOW
12:00nn – Lunch, ₫100,000
05:20pm – Water Puppet Show, ₫100,000
07:00pm – Dinner, ₫100,000
09:00pm – Lights out
Day 5: HA LONG BAY TOUR
07:00am – Early hotel check-out, deposit bags
08:00am – Start Halong Bay Tour, ₫3,310,000, Reserve Here
11:00pm – Lights out
Day 6: HA LONG BAY DAY TOUR
07:00am – Continue Ha Long Bay tour
05:30pm – Back in Hanoi
06:00pm – Dinner, ₫100,000
08:30pm – Back to hotel, pick up bags
09:00pm – Transfer to airport, ₫117,000 (₫233/2pax), Reserve here
10:00pm – Flight check-in
01:00am – Flight out
The itinerary above will cost you 6.1 Million dong (USD 265, EUR 230, SGD 361, PHP14,050) including the overnight boat accommodation in Ha Long Bay but excluding airfare and hotel in Hanoi.
Hanoi Itinerary 7 Days
For this itinerary, you will be visiting the Huong Pagoda or Perfume Pagoda, a complex of Buddhist shrines and temples in the karst Huong Tich mountains. Taking Klook’s day tour will allow you not just to visit the temples but also ride a rowboat down the Yen Stream and enter the Hong Tich cave which features several rock formations.
✅ CHECK RATES or RESERVE A SLOT HERE
Day 1: FOOD TOUR + HO CHI MINH COMPLEX
07:30am – Airport to City Center, ₫169,000 (338K/2pax), Reserve here
08:30am – Hotel check-in
09:00am – Walk to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
10:00am – Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, FREE
11:00am – One-pillar Pagoda, FREE
11:30am – Lunch, ₫100,000
02:00pm – Ho Chi Minh Museum, ₫40,000
04:30pm – Walk back to Old Quarter
06:00pm – Food Tour, ₫400,000, Book here
09:00pm – Walk back to hotel
10:00pm – Lights out
Day 2: HANOI LAKES
07:00am – Wake up
08:00am – Huc Bridge & Ngoc Son Temple, ₫30,000
09:30am – St. Joseph Cathedral, Vietnamese Women’s Museum, ₫30,000
11:00am – Lunch, ₫100,000
12:30am – Walk to Thang Long Opera Hotel
01:00pm – Hanoi City Tour, ₫653,000, Reserve Here
05:00pm – End tour
07:00pm – Dinner, ₫100,000
09:00pm – Walk back to hotel
10:00pm – Lights out
Day 3: NINH BINH
07:00am – Wake up
08:00am – Hotel pick up, Ninh Binh Tour, ₫670,000, Reserve Here
06:30pm – End tour, back in Hanoi
07:00pm – Dinner, ₫100,000
09:00pm – Walk back to hotel
10:00pm – Lights out
Day 4: PERFUME PAGODA
06:00am – Wake up call
07:30am – Hotel pick up, Perfume Pagoda Tour, ₫700,000, Book here
06:00pm – End tour, back in Hanoi
07:00pm – Dinner, ₫100,000
09:00pm – Walk back to hotel
10:00pm – Lights out
Day 5: REST DAY, WATER PUPPETS SHOW
12:00nn – Lunch, ₫100,000
05:20pm – Water Puppet Show, ₫100,000
07:00pm – Dinner, ₫100,000
09:00pm – Lights out
Day 6: HA LONG BAY TOUR
07:00am – Early hotel check-out, deposit bags
08:00am – Start Halong Bay Tour, ₫3,310,000, Reserve Here
11:00pm – Lights out
Day 7: HA LONG BAY DAY TOUR
07:00am – Continue Ha Long Bay tour
05:30pm – Back in Hanoi
06:00pm – Dinner, ₫100,000
08:30pm – Back to hotel, pick up bags
09:00pm – Transfer to airport, ₫117,000 (₫233/2pax), Reserve here
10:00pm – Flight check-in
01:00am – Flight out
If you follow this itinerary, prepare to shell out 7.2 Million dong (USD 311, EUR 272, SGD 426, PHP16,580) including the cable car ride in Perfume Pagoda and overnight boat accommodation in Ha Long Bay but excluding airfare and hotel in Hanoi.
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